Risen
by OROgoldenpair1
Summary: "Risen! Open your eyes! Speak to me!" My ears recognized that grief-stricken voice. Sadly, as my eyes refused to listen I knew it was time to inhale air, as the pull of the darkness slowly but surely faded away. I felt my heart revive. I lived.
1. Chapter 1

I knew all too well that my eyes were shut closed, leaving my mind to wander in an abyss. I told myself not to let go, but I failed. I was tumbling down, down into a bottomless world, and I couldn't hear myself scream, yet my mouth was wide open. I felt the water submerge me for an instant, then instantaneously turn to ice, leaving me trapped. I banged my palms on the ice above me in vain, gazing upwards at the face that looked down at me. _Am I on my way to Heaven or Hell?_ I thought to myself, the fresh tears not even sliding down my face. I closed my eyes in defeat, and waited for God and His hands to take me in.

"Risen! Open your eyes! Speak to me!" A voice said, my ears twitching as soon as I realized that I could finally hear something. I didn't do as the voice said but decided it was time to breathe deeply, as if the pull of the darkness slowly but surely faded away. I lived. I was a quick girl, so as soon as I made sure I was breathing, I began to feel. The numbness was gone, and I felt two soft but firm hands hold me. A girl's, I suppose. But no, it surely didn't match up with the deep voice that I had previously heard. I winced as the hands rattled me again. "Zeth, let go of me already!" I shouted before I knew what I was saying. My body shot upwards from the emergency bed that I soon realized was making its way to an ambulance. The world was no more a darkness to my eyes, and visible light gleamed everywhere in the setting sun. When I glanced around, I saw six transfixed eyes set on me. "Risen! You're alright!" I heard a feminine voice call out to me. I looked at her direction. "Zeth..." I said, recognizing her instantly. She hugged me tightly._ I think I know what's going on here..._ I thought to myself.

"I nearly drowned in a river, right?" I stiffly said, surprising the Doctors that thought I would have slurred speech. "Y-yes, nearly, and hit your head as well. You should lie back down, ok?" One said, putting my bandaged head at rest once more. I laid in the hospital room glaring at the blank white ceiling. All of a sudden I heard voices. "You can come in, but visiting hours are almost over." One said. "Alright." Another voice filled with worry said. I didn't glance at the door as it slowly swung open. "Risen... Thank God you're ok..." The voice said. Soon, I remembered. It was the voice of the one who first called out to me. I didn't think I had the strength but I managed to shift the pillow arrangement so that I could look at this mysterious person. He was tall, I noticed, with aqua green eyes and shaggy black hair. I looked at him without any recognition on my face. And he continued to stand there, waiting for me to say something. Finally, he gave up. "R-risen? You _do_ remember my face, don't you?" He asked, wavering for only a moments notice. "I don't think so." I said quite bluntly, obliviously faltering his hopes even more. He looked down to the floor harshly. "I don't believe this..." He muttered to himself. "Well, first of all, what is your name?" I asked him, trying to get to the bottom of the issue. He looked back up at me. "Kirihara Akaya. Please, just call me Akaya for old times sake, no -kun or niisan, if you still don't remember." He replied. _Why am I having such a hard time remembering?_ I thought to myself. It was like when I tried, the thought would disappear instantly. He waited for me to stop thinking and talk again. "Well, who were you to me, back then when I could remember?" I asked, my head turning to the window side of the room. He walked slowly to where I laid and I stiffened. He sat down and picked my front half up from out of the sheets, then hugged my head to his chest. "I am your brother." He answered simply. "B-brother? I didn't remember I had one. This makes me feel better, knowing that I have a close by relative. But the sad thing is that I don't remember anything about you at all. Hey, does this all mean I look a lot like you right now?" I asked in awe. He nodded and looked at me as if I had a fly swatted on my forehead. "Ohh, then that's great. Because I was already starting to think that you were adorably emotional." I giggled to my own surprise. I didn't know I could do _that_ yet. I looked up to his face and saw him quickly turn red and face another way. "Please, don't ever say that again in front of any body I know." He said, sweat dropping. "Well, now that I know who you are, you can get out of my room. Visiting hours are over." I bluntly said again. He seemed childishly offended then patted me on my head. He got up and then left the room. After staring at the door closed, I laid myself back down to a comfortable position and slept.

_Morning time again, huh?_ I thought to myself as I shielded my eyes from the standstill sun that gleamed through the blinds on the window. I glanced at the table clock and decided that I should enjoy my time sleeping. So, I laid my head back down and dreamt again, but dreamt about what had happened the other day. _They called me 'Risen' so that must be my name..._ I agreed to myself. Soon after ten minutes, a doctor came in. "Risen Kirihara, correct?" "I guess so." "The doctors you saw yesterday have diagnosed you with a little case of temporary loss of memory. But as long as you have someone to guide you, everything should go well. That means that we are releasing you as soon as two days from now. Ok?" He told me. _Two days... _"Thank you." I briefly said. Right as he was about to leave, he turned around. "Oh, and you can walk around the wards for a bit, get to know some people." And then he left. _Walk around? Finally._ I got up and kneeled on the floor. "Thanks God, for sparing me and letting me even see the light of day. Thanks again... in Jesus's name." I tried getting up, which was a little shaky, but I still managed to get up. I walked into the bathroom to brush my teeth and shower. After I had come out with a towel, I put on the same hospital clothes they had given me. I walked steadily out of the room, closed the door behind me, and immediately went right. I felt my head knock into something hard and I fell. "Watch where you're going!" I yelled at the next person I saw when I opened my eyes. I blinked again, double taking. "Gomenasai..." I heard his voice. He grabbed his forehead as if in pain. "I'm so sorry to yell... I didn't know that my big head hurt you." I apologized, making him laugh. "Yes, I admit I have a big cranium. Nothing to laugh about." I replied to his actions, making him chuckle more. I bent on my knees and gestured for him to talk my hand. He did, and I found that we were of the same height. "What is your name, young girl?" He asked, dusting off his hospital baby blue clothes. "Shouldn't you tell me yours first?" I retorted. He stared at me with an eyebrow raised. I couldn't help but crack a smile. "You're right, my name is Yukimura Seiichi. Come, we should head off to breakfast." He said, quickly turning and waving his hand as a gesture to follow. I shrugged and went with him.

After several twists of the hallway, we entered a huge room that was heavily scented with buttered pancakes, swirly danishes, and cinnamon toast. He looked back at me to see if I was in awe, which I was. I was all but drooling like a dog. "Sit down over there, and I will get us something. Ok?" He said, pointing to a booth not to far away. "But, I can get it my-" I started to protest, but he was already gone. "Self." I walked to where he told me to sit and sat in defeat. I lifted my palms under my cheeks and put my elbows on the table and sighed. "Amnesia... Funny, I can remember _that _word. Now I have to rebuild my life, temporary amnesia or not." I sighed once more and decided to forget thinking about that and just laid my head down.

_Young girl..._ _Young girl..._ A voice called out to me from beyond my slumber. My eyes burst open to face Yukimura who was the one calling me. I noticed in his hands lay the food tray. He sat it down, then took a seat across from me. "Arigato, Yukimura-san." I politely thanked, my hand about to reach for the fork. He gently nodded and placed his hand on the table but on top of mine, stopping my movement. "Prayer first?" He genuinely asked. I smiled and nodded. We put each of our hands together with the other hand in prayer position. After a few seconds, we opened our eyes and began to dig in. "So, Nazo-san*, you never told me about your name." He said, taking a sip of his water afterwards. (He said "Mystery-san".) My eyes widened in realization. "Kirihara Risen." I proudly said, unknown to Yukimura-san that I had just discovered this the night before. "Really? So you must be the one my boy has been mentioning. You look just like him, black hair and green eyes." He said to my surprise, now staring sharply into the latter he mentioned. " 'Boy'? I seriously don't want you to break that egg over my head saying something like 'Luke. I _AM_ your FATHER.' or anything like that." I said, shaking my head. "No, no! He's my kohai at our school, Rikkai Dai Fuzoku. I am the captain of their tennis team, and he's one of our regulars." He briefly explained. "W-wait a minute, if this is all happening, where am I supposed to fit into?" I asked him, swallowing down a big piece of waffle. He shrugged innocently. I waved it off and we ate in a comfortable silence. I munched down my smooth round egg happily with a shot glass of apple juice and sat back, having being done in five minutes. Yukimura, however, was still cutting his pancake. I looked at him with a sweat drop, and he seemed not to care has he delicately put one fork of food to another in his mouth, quietly chewing and brushing his lips lightly with a napkin. I figured he was one of _those_ types of guys who were a level of high maintenance. Somewhat. "Yukimura-san, I have a question... If you're the captain of the team, why are you here stuck in this hospital?" I innocently asked. He dropped his fork in hesitation and looked up at me beyond his long and curly blue hair. I suddenly realized that he may have been offended. "Gomen, I didn't mean to..." "It's ok. I'll tell you. I have an illness, some neurological disease..." He paused after he saw the sympathy on my face. "But i'll be fine, hopefully." He said with a smile. I knew that there was more hidden underneath that smile, though... "Well, Yukimura-san, I hope everything goes well for you." I told him with a nod. He smiled fully, then glanced at the watch his had strapped to his wrist. "Oh, I have an appointment soon... I best get going. I hope you get better too, Risen-san." He stood up, minding to throw away our left overs, glanced at me again, and headed back through the binding hallway. _What a weird guy, even though he looks well..._ I thought for a moment.

I decided to check around the place, making sure to take a mini-map with me. I strolled down another hallway, and saw that there was a small room full of people inside. They immediately noticed my presence and stared. "Sorry, wrong place..." I blushed and backed out the door. I exhaled in relief. "Hahaha! Child, it is best not to intrude on those old men... they'll stare you out the door and outside into the cold." An old but strong voice said in front of me. I looked up and spotted what looked like a cleaner. She had a white apron, black nurse shoes, and a small white cap on the top of her head. With her stood a cart, full of cleaning supplies, and I immediately spotted Bleach. "Yeah, I saw what you meant..." I said, sweat dropping and glancing to the door again. "Hi, I'm Margareth, top chief of the cleaning staff." She said, holding out her worn hand. "Risen. Pleasure to meet you." I also said, firmly taking her hand and shaking it. "So, what brings you 'round these parts?" She asked, now loading some more stuff from a nearby closet to the rolling rack. "Oh, I just _tried _to explore. Say, is there any other interesting places in this hospital _without_ grumpy old men who failed at anger management class and are taking it again?" I asked, making her heartily laugh again. "Oh, there is such a place. Turn to your right, and press your palm on the wall. You should be able to figure the next steps out. Oooh, I have places to run, dishes to clean. Goodbye, Risen!" She called behind her as she quickly made her way out of the hall and to where I previously entered the hallway, away from the room. I did as she told me, and a part of the wall just separated from the rest and slid up. Another hallway, except black and emerald looking in the distance, lay before me. I stepped through the fairly wide opening and the wall shut itself behind me. I gazed at the weird shape of the hallway. _A hexagon hallway?_ I thought. I continued on and found myself staring at the side of a huge (in my sight) gushing waterfall, with vines and flowers and plants encasing the stone behind it. A small pond that drained into somewhere else lay at its feet. _Outside,_ I realized, _but not off the premises. Good thinking._ I made my way around it and found a small stone bench to sit on. I took in the sight, realizing that the city sounds couldn't enter this place.

I decided to play around with the other children at the hospital and found myself easily worn out. Now they think of me as their hospital-sister! I didn't expect that... Anyway, once I said farewell and escorted all of them to their separate rooms, I went towards mine. _I wonder what he's doing..._ I thought, remembering that Yukimura-san's room was right next to mine. I slowly crept to his door like a spy and looked through the horizontal rectangular glass slot on the door that allowed you to glance inside. The room was dark, with only a few of the sun's rays coming in though the side window. I heard no movement at all. _I'm too curious... I must tackle that problem... Later._ I thought to myself with a smirk. I opened the door and quietly stepped in. I looked to my top right of vision and saw him, sleeping peacefully in the yellow sheets that neatly folded around him. I smiled at how calm he was. "You can't take me away... the National Championship... Gonna defeat Seigaku..." He mumbled, still in his sleep. I didn't know he was a person that talked in his sleep. His head turned and he shifted position so that his knees were closer to his chest. "Aw, isn't that just cute for a grownup to do?" I smiled. After all, from a 14 year old's point of view, he might as well could've been an adult even though I knew he was in middle school. I decided that the doctors might start looking for where I was, so I silently left the room, glancing back for only a millisecond.

I opened my door to find a group of people. At first I thought it was the doctors who took care of me yesterday, but I noticed that the people wore regular clothes. "Akaya? What are you doing here?" I asked, separating my eyes from the rest of the people and only focusing on him. "I came with my friends to visit you. Is that alright?" He asked. I nodded. He walked to me then turned around. "Sempai, this is my sister, Risen." He said, placing his big hand on my head. I smiled at each of them. "Konnichiwa, my name is Maruhi Bunta." One person with pinkish-red hair said. "The name's Ann. Tachibana Ann." The girl smiled. "Akutagawa Jirou is my name." A guy with light brown wavy hair said. "And that leaves me. Just call me Jackal." A tanned guy with a bald head said. "So, Risen, I'd really like to know what happened from your point of view, if you could still remember." Ann was the first to speak. I moved through them and took my place on the bed. "Sure. That's _if _I can still remember. Go ahead, you can sit down anywhere." I said to the rest of them. They complied and perked their ears, waiting to hear the story. "I was um... I was... Ah! Yeah, I remember now. I was fishing. Yes, and then I jumped in the river because I had dropped something in. I swam and I swam, and then I saw what I dropped, my wallet. I picked it up from the river's floor and tried swimming up again. That's all I can remember, I guess..." I said, glancing at all of them. It was funny how they all looked to sucked into what I was saying only a moment ago. "Yeah, and then I came to go find her and saw her still at the bottom of the river. That's when I jumped in after her and brought her to the shore." Akaya added. "Wow. That's going to be something to one day tell your children." She commented. I nodded. "So, Risen, are you coming back to your school any time soon?" Ann asked. "Yes, I was told this morning. Two days from now, they said." I answered. "Akaya, what school did I go to?" I asked him. He raised his eyebrows in thought. They immediately slumped down and even went into a frown. "That one school, Seigaku. Che, I'd rather have you go to my school. But nooo, mom said that you should 'have freedom from your brother'. Whatever _that_ means. She's not even in the country to visit you! Neither dad..." He sneered. I giggled at his face expression. "Really? Seigaku?" Jackal asked Akaya. He nodded. "Risen... if you ever need me at any time, please feel free to get me. Ok? Stay safe and _a~w~a~y _from those tennis club losers." He said, stressing out his comment. I sighed with a sweat drop. "Yes, Akaya." I responded. Then I wondered. _Was I younger or older than Akaya?_ I let it drop. "Take care, cause we have to go visit my Buchou that's next door." He said. "Yeah, I know him. Yukimura-san, right? We met in the morning. Just to let you know, he may just be asleep." I alerted them. "Mm. Ok." He responded. He patted me on the head and the rest of them filed out of the room except Maruhi. After seeing that everyone left for Yukimura, he walked up to my bed like a child looking at those glorious toy machines that you put a quarter into. "I really want to know. Is it true that you have amnesia?" He asked me. "Only a little. I may not remember some of my friends or people I had met before the accident." I answered. "Ok. Good. See, I have a little sister too so I care a lot for people's welfare. And also the fact that you're so cute!" He unexpectedly said, pinching my cheek. He smiled and left the room, finally. I rubbed the pinched and red cheek. "He didn't have to pinch me... Geez." I said, sweat dropping again.

My stomach suddenly rumbled, and I knew I was hungry. After reading my present, a manga book from Akaya, I went to go find food. All I had to do was follow a scent. I came into the big room again, now seeing a buffet of food, and people sitting down and enjoying whatever they could stuff in their mouths. I smiled and drooled. I took a hot plate from the stack and put rice, a potato (with filling and stuff- like a baked potato), meat, and a candy bar on the side for my desert. After I took a drink to go, I took my stuff back to my room and ate happily. Once I ate the last I wanted to of my candy bar (and saved some), I drank my soda and went to sleep.

Beep Beep! Something went. I realized that it was an alarm clock. My droopy eyes opened and I spotted it immediately. I pressed it to turn off. I arose from my bed and kneeled on my floor. I prayed again, then got up. After showering and brushing, the same routine, I waited for a few seconds by the door and then left the room._ Heh, now I won't bump into anybod-_ My thought was cut off short as I bumped into Yukimura again. "Oooh, how does this keep happening!" I complained. "Risen-san... I waited by the door a few seconds so you could pass." He said. "I did the same..." I responded. He cracked a smile and then finally laughed with me. He stood up first and then pulled me up. He looked down at his hand, which still held mine, as if he was observing. "Ano, Yukimura-san?" I wanted to ask, wondering why he still continued to stare at his own hand. "Ah, gomen, gomen. I thought I had cut my hand earlier with the sharp edge of my desk, but there wasn't anything. Let's go, then." He said, leading me down the hallway, not noticing that I was trying hard to keep up. After all, I reasoned that it would be embarrassing to tell him to let my hand go.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis. I only own my character.

PS: Tell me if it's too boring and I'll probably take this story down. I have to gather ideas.

I fluttered my eyes at my surroundings. I inhaled the air, seeing that there were flowers nearby. The sun beamed in my eyes and the shadows of the buildings in the city constantly changed as the vehicles rolled by. The deep green trees with light wooden trunks slightly moved their leaves; I noticed that a small wind was blowing our way. "Beautiful... Just beautiful..." I barely managed to say, turning around to face him again. He lightly smiled. "I knew you'd like it," He said, a nod as my reply. Yukimura this day happened to be let out of the hospital for a couple of hours. He generously gave up his time to show me this place, which was a small park, insisting that I cover my eyes until we had gotten there. I took my seat on the sturdy and warm bench, Yukimura soon following suit. He gracefully landed beside me and looked to the sea-side distance, what he knew to be my favored spot.

In comfortable silence, I opened up my Bento box and took my chopsticks out. With sudden remembrance on his face, he glanced at his backpack. He now remembered that he forgot to pack one. With a face that barely showed any emotion, he pushed this fact aside and continued to watch the birds fly high in the blue painted sky. I read him like a book; I could tell that he was interested in my own food. Sticking out my hands that held my box, I surprised him and offered it. "Risen-san... I-I'm fine. I can wait till-" He stopped, noticing that his rumbling stomach just thwarted the statement that he was about to say. I nodded with a smile, insisting that he should take before me. "You take first. After all, it is your box. I didn't want to trouble you. In my morals, a man should always wait before the woman eats to make sure of her satisfaction. So eat, and then I will take." He said into the air, not really sounding like an 8th grader at all. I was awed at his words and then with no further push started eating my rice balls, and then some sushi. I was satisfied when the box was nearly half empty. After really analyzing the remains, I gave him the rest. I wished all people could be like him, based on how long that i'd known him, but I wouldn't dare tell him that.

With me as his support, we walked back down the block and away from the park. The city's roar and beeping comforted me, even though I did not know why. I glanced up at him idly, him catching it immediately and staring back with wide eyes. "Yes?" "Nandemonai, Yukimura-san." I responded, facing straight the whole entire way back to the hospital. By now, it was the end of the week, far past when I left the hospital. The children seemed sad for me to leave, but I promised them all that I would visit them occasionally. Even Yukimura and Margareth seemed a little sullen, as they had gotten to befriend me quickly. I was now attending Seishun Gakuen, with guidance of course, because I still could not remember anything about the school. "Ne, Risen-san, wasn't today something we could remember in the future?" He asked me, once we had arrived inside the building. I didn't respond; I wanted to save my answer for later. We greeted the staff then made out way to the very back, which was the ward section. We went through the familiar hallway and arrived to the polished floor that lay inside of his room.

He relieved himself of his jean jacket and removed his shoes just to put on his hospital blue and fuzzy slippers. I watched silently in front of his desk. "So, Risen-san, what is your answer?" He asked again, now tucking himself in his bed. I smiled and nodded. "Yes. It was, Yukimura-san. Although... I have a question that I've wanted to ask... Do _you_ think it was a good idea for me to go to Seigaku?" I asked, hoping for some advice and approval. "Whatever was best for you. You're a very smart and knowledgable, Risen-san. It is a top school, so of course Seigaku should have its finest. Don't you agree? Keep in spirit and try not to falter." He stated. It gave me a sense of assurance. "Thanks." I simply said, looking down at my now interesting shoes. "Yukimura-san, I think it's about time for me to take my leave. Akaya would definitely be on my case if I didn't arrive home on time." I said, taking a moment to shake my head. "Oh, definitely. Go ahead." He said, a smile planted on his face. "I hope to visit again soon. But visits will be hard, considering that I must retake some tests on some subjects at school. You know, testing what I can remember, although I don't think I'll have much trouble with that." I informed him. "Sou ka... I understand." He replied, smiling to ease me. "Bye, then..." I said, bowing my head and walking swiftly to the door. Out the door I went, not knowing that he laid his head back down. "Seigaku... ka?" He mumbled to himself.

I walked down the five blocks as the surroundings changed to middle class homes and streets. I made a short left, thinking that my house was going to be right there. "Oh no... I got myself lost again..." I complained, trying to remember where I had gone wrong. Maybe it was the whole five blocks thing. Yeah, most likely that. "I don't even know what street this is. What kind of public transportation runs through here anyways?" I yelled to no particular person. I glanced at the sky and shielded my eyes. All of a sudden, I heard voices coming from the opposing side of the block where I entered. "Eiji-sempai, why must you always steal my hat?" A young voice said. He sounded about 13. I instantly turned around to the sound, trying to find an ally. "Ochibi is just too set back is all. Since when did you say I couldn't take your hat?" Another voice said, sounding even more childish. I saw that both of them had Seigaku jackets on. I dashed to them. "Hold on! Please, I need help!" I shouted at them, halting both the short one and tall one. I panted before them, hands on my knees before I straitened. They looked at each other with wonder. "Are you lost?" Another voice said. I looked behind the two and saw a third person, with tall raven black hair and diamond purple eyes. "Yes. I need to find my way home, and I suppose I don't know where it is." I replied, shaking my head.

"Hey... You're that one girl! The one that always cheered at Rikkai's games, don't you remember guys?" The one called Eiji said, looking to the other two, as if they knew. "I... I was?" I asked him, cocking my head to the side. He shook his head, signaling for me to forget about it. Not that I would even remember tomorrow. "Where do you need to get to?" The one called Ochibi finally spoke. "Well, I forgot my street name... But I live with my brother, Akaya. Do any of you know him?" They stayed silent for some time, raising their eyebrows. "You mean Kirihara Akaya?" Eiji asked. I nodded quickly. "Mm. Well, all you have to do is turn on the big road, turn at the light, then pass Big Tree Cafe and where all the woods are." Eiji informed me. I incredulously looked at him with a _Wuh-wuh?_ face. The other two saw that I didn't know what in the world he was talking about. "Let me take you. You guys go on ahead, kay? I'll be by the tennis courts afterwards." The still unnamed guy said. He rolled his bike towards my way. "Hai." The other two said, building up their pace as they walked away towards their intended direction.

I looked at him coldly. "And where do you expect me to ride on this thing? I don't even know your name for crying out loud!" I yelled. He smiled. "Momoshiro Takeshi. Pleasure to meet you, again. Now, you're gonna just hop onto the two metal bars in the back and hold onto my shoulders. Is that a good enough description?" I said. I didn't answer, but did as he said. He smirked and started pedaling away, turning back to the main road and going down a hill side. I would start complaining and murmuring, as usual, but I kept my tone. After all, I wasn't the most advantageous in the current situation. As Eiji said, there was the light, barely seen, being covered up mostly by big trees. _We must be getting close..._ I thought to myself. When we made the turn, a saw a small Cafe up ahead, and even more trees next to it. Now when Momoshiro passed that, he curved towards the small home which I recognized immediately. I hastily jumped off the bike as soon as he made the slightest hesitation to stop then faced him. "Arigato, Momoshiro-san." I thanked. He wiped the sweat off of his forehead. "No problem. And call me Momo, Risen-chan." He said, taking off again. I stood in the driveway. _How did he know my name?_ I thought to myself, pausing to wonder for only another second as I recognized my name being called. I swiftly turned around to see Akaya standing in the doorway. I walked towards him, expecting him to scowl at me again. Instead, he smiled and moved out of the way as I entered the house. "You got lost again, didn't you?" He smirked. "Urusai." I said, boldly showing my defiance. He followed me up the stairs. "Oh, just to let you know, Mom and Dad called." I stopped, my feet not even hitting the next step. "Oh really?" I said, my voice deepening. I still do not remember my parent's faces after all this time, and they knew the accident happened. It just didn't seem fair to me that they didn't even call before. Sure, I didn't remember anything about them for now, but it seemed that they didn't care much. "Yeah." He briefly responded. Knowing my feelings, he held me around my shoulder and continued walking me up the stairs. "Do you want some Ramen when you come down?" He asked me as soon as I entered my room. I took off my shoes. "Yeah, sure." I told him. He was turning to leave, but I stopped him. "Akaya, I wanted to know this for sometime... Was I the older one between the two of us? OR were you?" I said. He smiled and warily pointed to a spot in my room. I followed the direction and saw a little picture frame. Inside was a picture of Akaya and I. I was patting his head and smiling, while he was adorably frowning. His head reached my elbow. When I looked back to the doorway of my light purple room, he was gone. I guess I was the older one. I shrugged and continued to undress and put on my house-wear, which consisted of my fuzzy slippers, basketball shorts, a long sleeved white shirt, and some earmuffs. What! My ears would randomly get cold.

After a short nap, which was rare, I felt like going down again. I slowly turned in my purple sheets and stared up at the ceiling. _God_, I thought, _I would've been up there with you and people that would've been strangers but good friends if my Aniki__ wasn't there... No, if you weren't there. Now I could never accept __**that**__, can I? _I sat up and stretched my arms out with a loud yawn.

"_**Oitsuzuketekite Yume, Akiramezuni Susume Yo nante, Kirei Koto Wo Ieru hodo, Nanimo Dekichainai Kedo-**__"_

My phone rang. I looked at where it sat comfortably blaring music on the table next to my bed with my lamp's bright and hot light staring down at it. It showed the I.D. on the screen, one that I had not seen before in the one week that I've been away from the hospital. I hesitantly took up the black sleek phone and pressed the talk button. "Moshi... Moshi?" I asked into the phone. "Hai, konnichiwa. It's me, Bunta-chan. Are you busy right now?" I heard the voice say. I smiled. "Nope, just going down to eat. What's up? Also... how did you get my number?" I yelled into the phone. I didn't ear anything on the other end and figured he was thinking about his response, scratching his red hair. "Yeah, that would be to the courtesy of Inui-san from Seigaku... You've probably already met him." He answered smoothly, as if there wasn't anything wrong with his previous statement. I sweat dropped and sighed as recognition suddenly came over me. "Yeah, I know him. The one who knows all, the Data Man. Anyways, why'd you call, Maruhi-san?" I asked him, my hand resting on the doorknob as I was about to exit my room. He once again was silent. "Maruhi-san?" I asked again, wondering if he was still there. "Yeah, Gomen. I-I was distracted. I called to ask if I could come over and hang out. Is that fine?" He asked, his voice softer as usual, as if he was afraid of my response. "Why do you find it up to me? I'm not the older- … Wait a minute, yes I am... That means that I control who goes and comes from this house, right?" I asked, as if I was making a huge discovery. "Yes, Risen-chan. Full power, blah blah blah. I was also wondering if you'd be up for tennis. Oh! Wait, you don't remember how to play... I used to hear from Akaya-boy that you were really good. Well, maybe I could teach you again. Right?" He asked. "Yes. Most definitely." I replied. I could hear the happiness of becoming a sempai again in his voice. "Hai, Hai! I'll see you guys soon. Ja mata ne." And he dropped the phone. I looked at the phone idly for a few more seconds, sighed and tossed it on the bed. With a soft click, I opened my door and went back downstairs to arrive at the dining table. I once again gazed at the warm colors of chocolate brown and tea cream that decorated the dining room.

Maruhi pedaled as fast as he could- up and down, up and down, up and down. He was bent forward on his bike as if it was a galloping horse. His layered hair blew in his face and irritated his eyes, but he didn't care much of it. He smiled gratefully into the air, feeling the bliss of being away from his house and family once again. He had a large family, and they all looked the same, dressed the same, and even talked in the same tone, except for his sister who _actually _had different tastes. They were like zombies in dressy suits. They cared for him, and he knew it, but somehow he needed to get away from the zombie like fashion and be different, hence the pinkish-red hair. He sped around blocks and whipped past trees. He started slowing down as he approached the Kirihara household. He jumped off the bike in the driveway and rode it with his hands into the nearby bushes. With a swift knock, Maruhi was already at the door. "Oi, Risen-chan!" He yelled, deciding to knock again. The door opened to reveal a face he didn't expect. "Akaya? Gomen. I thought she'd be the one to answer the door." He said, awkwardly scratching the back of his head. "No problem. Come on in sempai," He said, opening the doorway and letting his giddy friend hop inside.

I slurped up the ramen in a peaceful silence. "Mmm. Tastes good." I mumbled to myself, about to drink the left over liquid in a big gulp. "Risen-chan!" I heard a familiar voice and I spit it out roughly. I didn't expect him to appear. With a few gasps I looked over to the dining room's entrance with an angry face. He looked surprised, as if he didn't see what just had happened. "What? What is it?" He asked about the strange look on my face that he'd never seen before. "Just get me some water and don't say another word..." I seethed, still trying to breathe. Maruhi bowed and then went to the kitchen in a hurry. He came back in a flash and handed the cup to me. I relievedly drank the water, picked up both items I had now in my hands and went to the kitchen to put them away with him following after. "Gomen, Risen-chan. I didn't mean to scare you..." He said after a few moments of silence. "It's fine, Maruhi-san. Just don't do it again." I replied with a sweat drop forming at the back of my head. After washing the dishes was done, we took our place in the big living room with Akaya. "Ne, ne, Akaya-boy, do you think we all could play a game? Maybe... truth or dare perhaps?" Maruhi said a sly smirk on his face.

"That's it, I'm out." I quickly announced and I got up to go to my room. "Wait, why?" He asked, reaching out to me. "It's simply because I do not like those types of games. So, therefore, I am going up. If you instead would like to join me in the things **I** like to do, I have no problem." I answered, walking out of the living room now. In the corner of my eye I saw Maruhi bow with an apology to Akaya and start to follow me again. Akaya waved him off and smiled. After trudging up the long stairs, I turned once again into my room that was along the straight hallway and let him in too. "Let me guess, Risen-chan likes checkers or hand games or chess, right?" He asked, taking himself a spot on my floor. "Although I do like those, that's not the game I want to play. I call this game 'Hide and Go Seek'." I said, a smirk now on my face. "Oh, so Risen-chan want's to play a game like that?" He said aloud, now standing up. I nodded. "I'm guessing that I'm the seeker. But what places can you go to? Is it just this second floor of your house?" He asked. I nodded again. "Then let's play. I'll count to 15." He said, beginning to cover his eyes.

When he started counting, I tiptoed out of the room and hid in what used to be my mother's room and I locked the door behind me. After all, there was a key hanging right in front of the door. I made my way across the vastness of the room, looking at the sky blue walls and bed sheets that made the beauty of the place. I felt a pang in my heart when I saw something I hadn't before. A box labeled 'Memories'. I opened it up, curious as to what I might find.

Regular Pov~

Maruhi searched right and left, but couldn't find the girl. He went all the way down the hall and was about to enter the bathroom to search when he heard a faint whimper. He turned to a room that had a key on its door. He rasped his knuckles against the door after testing it if it was locked. He quickly grabbed the key and put it into the door handle. In one swift motion he opened the door and made his way to the source of the crying. He kneeled next to her and patted her head. "What's the matter, Risen-chan?" He asked, wondering what could make the girl cry. He continuously patted her head in an effort to comfort her. "It's nothing. Just go back and we'll start over..." She said, pushing him away and wiping her face with her sleeve. She had tried not to cry, but it was hard looking at her past in life, seeming to be happy, and not remembering much at all. She saw her parents in the pictures, and they looked happy too. She shook her head, stood and made Maruhi go count again.

Risen Pov~

The day was well spent and I was pretty tired out. After dinner with Maruhi, which I found weird, Akaya let me know that he was going to stay over and that he'd already called Maruhi's parents. "Oh... well, ok. I guess..." I said softly, about to start trudging up the stairs. "Risen, I'm sorry. I... I should have thought about you and whether or not you would be ok with having another person stay over. Gomen." Akaya apologized. I didn't even know that he'd catch my uncomfortableness. "It's fine." I assured him. I gave him a tight hug and smiled up at him.

Lights were out by midnight. Tomorrow, another school day was to begin. I reviewed what I had done that Sunday: _Go to church with Aniki, rather, Otouto, visit Yukimura, get lost... again, have quality time at home. That's not really much at all... _I thought. My vision became blurry as I yawned and blinked four times, each interval between them getting slower and slower until I fell asleep. "Risen-chan, are you still awake?" I heard a voice beyond my dreams. "Well, _now _I am... What is it?" I groaned, turning to look at Maruhi in his sleeping bag on my floor. "I can't sleep. And I'm bored also. I'm also not tired, either." He said, listing all three responses I was hoping he wasn't going to say. I secretly slapped myself in the forehead. "Ne, Risen-chan, have you ever thought about what you were going to be when you grow up? I know it's a random question but…Uh, wait, never mind." He said, suddenly thinking that I wouldn't remember such information like that. "Yes, Actually, I have. I want to be a Doctor. Just so I can take care of people like Seiichi." I said, realizing too late that I had already called his Buchou by his first name. I could sense him smirking. "Oh? Is it just so you can have people _like Buchou_ all to yourself?" He retorted, making me glare at him. I threw a pillow at his grinning face. "It's not like that, Maruhi. I say it isn't." I answered. He knew that if he continued his little "fun", he'd have a whole lot more pillows coming his way. Therefore, he shut up and slept. I was still staring up at the ceiling. _I don't know why he'__d think__ like__ that..._

The loud but peaceful chirping of the birds outside on a nearby branch of a tree woke me. I sighed and stretched my arms, not really wanting to go to school again. I was praying and I felt two eyes staring at me. After I finished, I looked towards the source. "Yes, Maruhi-san?" I asked, wondering about why he was staring. "You... you pray? I would've never guessed." He said, chuckling at the end. "Yes, I do. What's wrong with that?" I asked, getting a little defensive. "Absolutely nothing." He quickly responds, looking like he was having a Jaden Yuki moment. I looked at him for a few moments, expecting him to take a hint. "Maruhi-san, I would appreciate it if you would maybe step out? I have to get ready for school. You know. Actually, so do you. Did you bring something to get dressed with you?" I asked, turning him pale. "Oops. I guess I forgot. Eh, I'll borrow one of Akaya-boy's. And yes, I can leave so you can dress up and put makeup on, like every other girl." He said, rolling his eyes. My eyebrows furrowed. "Hey! I am _not_ like every other girl! And FYI, I don't wear makeup." I said, now getting up and practically dragging him and his sleeping bag out of the room. I slammed the door behind me and sighed. After showering, brushing my teeth, and brushing my curly bob-ed hair, I stepped out of the bathroom with a towel. Putting on my Seigaku girls outfit, which I liked except for the colors, with my black leggings underneath, I grabbed my pink flats and headed out the door. Running quite quickly down the steps, I glanced at my watch which read 6:45am. _I'm going to be late again..._ I thought to myself briefly. Skidding into the kitchen, I prepared a bowl of Flakes and grabbed a spoon. "Risen-chan... Why are you rushing? You could choke on the milk, you know." A voice said to me. _He's the one telling me about CHOKING? _I yelled inwardly. I didn't spend a second more and I rushed to grab my backpack.

Walking to school, I suddenly remembered how embarrassing having your brother take you to school. Akaya walking me to Seigaku, holding my hand like a lost child, I sweat dropped and thought that we must've looked quite a sight. "Mattaku..." I complained to myself. We approached the front gates and we stopped. "Ok. Well, see ya, Risen. Be safe, ok?" He yelled, now walking away to his intended destination to take himself to his school. I waved again and walked through the gates. _Akaya is too overprotective..._ I thought to myself. I saw my classmates run towards the building and soon realized that the bell had already rung. I quickly ran inside the building along with them, went up some stairs and slid into the classroom with a bang. Sitting in any seat available, I sighed in relief at the fact that the teacher hadn't come yet. Everyone else in the classroom was talking to their friends. Among those people, I spotted a familiar face.

"Yo, Risen-chan, what's up?" He said, making his way over to me. "Momo-kun..." I addressed him as he sat down in the chair next to me. "Hi. I again should say thanks for what you did yesterday. That would've been miserable trying to find my own house for hours upon hours." I said, curtly nodding my head. "It wasn't a problem," He answered, shaking his head. "Also, I wanted to know more about those people who were with you..." I said, wondering if they were all on some team. "Oh, them? The jumpy red-head was Kikumaru Eiji, and the short kid with the hat was Echizen Ryoma. We're all in the tennis team." He answered. _Yabai! Aniki said not to mess with them... wait a minute, I mean Oto__uto! I can make my own decisions now!_ I thought to myself. "Well, pleasure to kind of meet all of you." I said, offering my hand. As he shook it, I noticed how tough his hand was. Must've been that sport training. He was about to leave, but I caught his arm. "Ne, Momo-kun, I wanted to know how you knew my name," I inquired. "You don't remember? You stood up in front of the classroom and introduced yourself on the first day you came." He answered. "Oh... Well, thanks for remembering anyway." I said, letting go of his arm. He childishly smiled, making his purple eyes sparkle. _What a nice character... Maybe he could be my friend._ I thought quickly, right before Sensei walked in and got the class settled.

The classes were finished at the end of the day, and I walked last out of the class. I met up with my friend Zeth, and she caught me up on things. I had asked her of the full story of what had happened on the accident day, but she said that she couldn't tell me. I really wondered why. Anyway, after walking out of the class, I suddenly remembered I did not have any homework and gave a squeal of hurray. Of course, with my guide, which was a person named Sakuno Ryuzaki, I made it through the day easily. I followed her out of the classroom and wherever she was headed next. I soon found out that that place was the tennis courts. I heard the loud pounding of rackets hitting tennis balls that were flying back and forth across the courts. It was the first time that I had seen the tennis courts at the school, so I looked around earnestly. It was a boys' team, I guessed. I suddenly remembered what Momoshiro had told me and looked around for him. I easily spotted him while he was taking a drink from his bottle and waved. He seemed surprised to see me, but he briefly waved back and went back to practice. All the other guys with the same type of jacket he had on looked important. I guessed that they were the main team; after all, they seemed like the most skilled of the boys.

"You can wait here by this bench, Kirihara-sempai. I'll introduce you to my best friend, Tomoka." She said, hurriedly running off to a girl with brown pigtails. While I patiently waited for Sakuno, I heard the Coach yell that the practice was dismissed early. "Why though, Ryuzaki-sensei?" The one I recognized as Eiji yelled. "Well, for one, it's going to rain and I don't need you boys to overdo practice and get sick, as usual. Also, I have a meeting to attend to, and Tezuka isn't here. Therefore, I see nobody responsible enough to keep you guys doing what you're supposed to do." She answered, earning a jaw drop from most of the members. "What about Inui?" Eiji said, trying to still change her mind. "Not even him can I trust nowadays, with him making his ominous drinks to poison everyone." She replied. "What about Oishi?" He tried again. "Che. Insistant are you? I'm not going to give Oishi leadership for awhile. He has other things to be concerned about, and he can't afford to be stressed out. That'll be all, practice is dismissed." She said, ending the conversation. She packed up her book bag and walked away. "Oh, practice ended..." I heard Sakuno's friend say. "Ne, Ryuzaki-san, are you related to that woman that is the coach?" I asked her. She and her friend came over to my side finally. "Yes. She is my grandmother and current guardian." She answered. "I haven't seen you around in the freshmen classes. What's your name?" Tomoka asked. "I am Risen Kirihara, in the 2nd year classes. Yoroshiku! And before you ask, yes, Akaya is my brother." I answered. I could tell she was about to ask as soon as my mouth would close. "Oh. Cool! My name is Tomoka Osakada, president of the Ryoma fan-club." She said, offering her hand for a shake, which I took. "Echizen-san has a fan-club? That Chibi?" I said quite out loud, turning many snickering heads.

After the members had all changed back into their regular clothes, I waited for Momoshiro at the fountain and joined him when he came. "So this is Seigaku's team..." I commented, pointing to the rest of the members. "Yes. The ones wearing the Seigaku jackets are called the Regulars. We are the ones who actually play in the tournaments. However, new Regulars may come during Ranking Matches, which is when all of us, excluding freshmen, play each other for 8 Regular spots." He finished. I nodded in understanding. "Ne, ne, aren't you that one girl from yesterday? Kirihara's sister?" Eiji said, jumping around me. "Yes. I didn't get to properly meet you, sempai." I sheepishly said, a big sweat drop forming at the back of my head. He nodded. "My full name is Risen Kirihara, Yoroshiku!" I announced, loud enough so that the other people soon gathering around Eiji could hear. The one called Ryoma made his way up to me and looked up at me. "Mada mada..." He said, now making his way past me and to the school gates. I glared at him behind my shoulder. _Rude much, that Chibi._ I said in my head. "Risen-chan, these are my friends, the rest of the regulars. There's Fuji, Oishi, Inui, Kawamura and Kaidoh." Eiji introduced. I bowed and told all of them "Yoroshiku!" The one called Oishi with small bangs at the top of his head smiled. "Welcome to our school." He said.

Later on, after following them for some time, they invited me to burgers down at the burger joint, which I happily agreed to. Although they were complete strangers, they treated me as if they had known me for a very long time. After cheering on and watching Momoshiro in his contest of who could eat more against Echizen, the regulars left the McDonald and went their separate ways. I looked up and noticed the sky was very dark and the lamp posts along the sides of the city streets illuminated the path home. I wondered if Akaya was home yet… After walking a good pace on the silent black streets of the town, I heard crickets. "If Akaya is back at home now, he'd definitely give me a piece of his mind," I complained to no one in particular as I sweat dropped. I thought about all the things that had happened in the day... _What a great thing it is to e__njoy life… But… It is not the same for Yukimura…_ I thought sadly to myself of the one who wouldn't be able to go to school normally for a long time.

Regular Pov:

"The wind is neither my foe nor friend. It is my guardian. The wind is what moves me. The wind is life. Fire. Fire is a great burning of destruction and yet the result of a small kindle, giving small hope to those beyond helpless. It is my tool; my desire. The sky is a great ocean, forever stretching past the horizon. It is always looking down on us, yet at the same time telling us our directions in the night. The sky is our great companion." The swordsmen recited as they swung the wooden sticks during training. Sanada, the man of honor, was among them in his grandfather's Dojo, practicing and teaching with students. It was a usual day at the Dojo, Sanada doing his usual routines. That is, until one of the students comes to him and tells him that his phone is ringing. It irritated him that he had to pause his training for that, but he reluctantly put down the towel that he was using to dry his face and went to the backroom where his sleek phone flashed its colors and vibrated almost silently. He picked up and read the caller ID. His eyes widened with shock.

He regretted thinking those previous thoughts and quickly gathered his things. Rushing, he told his grandfather that he'd be leaving, left the other students in mystery, and rushed out of the dojo with his normal clothes on. Once he had dashed to the street, he started sprinting for the hospital.


End file.
